Both teams advance to the Group A state tournament next week, but the winner of Saturday night's game will host a quarterfinal game Tuesday night and the loser will have to play on the road. The semifinals and finals are next Friday and Saturday in Salem.

Pierce scored 23 points in the first half as Sussex took a 34-26 lead.

But Essex's box-and-one defense in the third quarter limited her to two points and the Trojans came back to take a 42-41 lead after three quarters.

But in the fourth quarter, the Sussex star beat the defense designed to stop her and scored 14 of her team's 22 points.

Sussex led 58-53 with 1:43 to play when Pierce built the lead to seven with a layup. After Essex scored, Christy Doby scored on an assist from Pierce to keep the lead at 62-55. Then Pierce stole the ball, was fouled and made one of two free throw tries.

In the other game, Surry led Nandua 43-39 with 2:22 to go, then put the game away with six points in less than a minute.

Shelly Holmes' free throws with 2:22 left made it 45-39. Then after two free throws by Nandua, Hamlin's basket at 1:54 and Renita Harris' baseline jump shot at 1:35 put the Cougars ahead 49-41